The Catcher In Elsinore: Hamlet [2000] An Analysis

- Harold Goddard, The Meaning Of Shakespeare.

There have been more than 50 films, either for cinema or television, of Shakespeare’s most staged play, from Lawrence Olivier’s 1948 Oscar-winning almost film-noir version to the parody of Kaurismaki’s Hamlet Goes Business (1987). The latest is Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet (2000), a contemporary realisation in a familiar New York whose visual style owes more to the fast cutting of MTV than the solidity of the stage. Unlike the satirical butchering of Kaurismaki’s version (whose work uses not a single line of the original text), to which Hamlet (2000) owes much of its corporate setting, Almereyda presents a pared down and unadulterated adaptation.

Of course, in order to produce the 1 hour 15 running time, even shorter than Zefferelli’s action-hero Hamlet (1990), which suffered as Vogue had it, not cutting but “axplay”, much is removed. However, although shorter than Zefferelli’s effort, the inclusion of the text’s political aspect (in Fortinbras ) and the first scene (although reordered), excised from the 1990 film, leads to a far more effective, rounded and realised version. Th

Hamlet (Hawke) watches Dean as he speaks the “oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!” soliloquy and in doing so achieves the creation of a parallel between the two figures. Hamlet, the “rogue” with a cause but perhaps not the will watching another generation’s rogue (rebel) and seeing himself within that figure. With Olivier there is of course an even stronger parallel, Hamlet observing an earlier generation’s conception of Hamlet and being inspired by it. With the absence of the Player King, whose speeches inspire Hamlet to set the “mousetrap”, Olivier (as Hamlet), in a supreme example of the meta-textual serves that purpose.

Once this pacy and effective exposition has occurred, the introduction of Hamlet (as I have previously mentioned) occurs. A soliloquy taken from Act 2 Scene 2, which originally comes during the “fishmonger” dialogue, powerfully introduces Ethan Hawke’s characterisation of a maladjusted film-student Hamlet. Acting as both the introduction of the media-saturation of the film and Hamlet’s fascination with it, the speech occurs on a deliberately low quality black and white video display interspersed with images of the world (as perceived by the prince.) This inter-cutting with file footage of world events allows for a useful explication of the text – “the beauty of the world” ‘s sarcasm enhanced by juxtaposition with a bomber climbing in takeoff from a runway and the impact of a smart bomb .

The influence of the media and of technology provide a modernised context to certain allusions in the text, supporting them rather than altering them in their meaning. Throughout surveillance devices provide a sense of the claustrophobic and paranoid nature of Elsinore. For example during the dialogue between Polonious and Hamlet , when Polonious comments in an aside – “…still harping on about my daughter.” – he addresses the comment to (and through) a surveillance camera and in doing so achieves a sense of his role as Claudius’ observer.

With the addition of silent, almost tableaux like scenes , which expand the audience’s understanding of characters positions in the world (example: Hamlet breaking off from the royal couple as they enter a film premiere watched by the press) the dynamics of the relationships between the royals (both living and dead) are altered. The proclamation scene in which Claudius makes his speech becomes a press conference and this evocation of the media obsession and interest replaces the public scrutiny of the court in the original context of Elsinore.

However whilst cutting is both important and not without major effects, the reorganisation of scenes is perhaps of more importance. When staged, Hamlet’s initial scene, the dialogue between Barnardo and Fernando moving into the appearance of the ghost, which provides both expositional effects about the nature of Elsinore and a theatrical shock, is rarely, if ever altered. Filmic exposition is however a far different prospect. A film audience expects to see the star, is used to the instant gratification of meeting the lead character first and Almereyda provides them with it. Following the precedent set by Olivier with his prologue – “This is the story of a man who could not make up his mind” – Almereyda provides us with a type of immediacy the theatre rarely does.

Some topics in this essay:
Ethan Hawke’s, Almereyda’s Hamlet, Hamlet Acting, Barnardo Fernando, Orson Welles, Hamlet Ophelia, Horatio Marcia’s, Hamlet Horatio, Hamlet Polonious, Richard III, ethan hawke’s, screwed-up type guy”, art film, modern setting, type guy”, screwed-up type, holden caulfield, almereyda’s vision, hamlet 2000, “get thee, shorter zefferelli’s, “get thee nunnery”,